Karakuri Pierrot
by Haruka Sumairu
Summary: 022. As the blue-haired girl drifted in her thoughts during class, she just couldn't get the boy out of her mind. Perhaps she had fallen for him. —inspired by the Vocaloid song "Karakuri Pierrot"
1. Chapter 1

**Dedicated to Chronos.  
**

**Happy Monthsary to you and Blue Rose~  
Long live the Blue Rose Shipping!**

* * *

—karakuri pierrot—

【からくりピエロ】

It's so easy, and yet so difficult,  
for I can move on as soon as I accept reality.  
Unable to believe it, not wanting to believe it,  
I must be a clown inside your mind, aren't I?

* * *

They were twelve when she first met him.

She had been walking down the hallway quickly, her long blue hair swishing back and forth as she hurried to her first class.

Clutching her textbooks to her chest, she blinked.

And in that single blink, she didn't notice that she had just bumped into someone.

Their books and papers went flying, and she braced herself for the fall when she felt a pair of arms holding her, lifting her up.

A bright pink appeared on her cheeks as she stumbled back, a squeaky "Sorry!" coming out of her mouth, and dropped to the floor to pick up their things.

She picked up a book just as a hand grabbed it, placing it on top of hers. She looked up to see chocolate-colored eyes staring back at her brightly, and she couldn't help but gaze into them.

The girl hastily pushed the book towards him and scurried to pick up their other things. She held onto her own books in one hand and held the stack of notebooks and papers in the other. They both stood up abruptly, and she blinked as got a clear look at the person in front of her.

He was much taller than her, a lean but strong frame holding him up, with wavy light brown hair.

Realizing she was staring, she quickly looked down and handed the boy his things.

"Sorry," she muttered again, looking up.

The boy smiled at her, a bright wide smile. The girl felt her heart thumping loudly against her chest, and she managed to smile back at him.

"It's alright."

Suddenly a loud voice yelling, "Get to your classes! Now!" echoed through the hallway. The hall monitor was stomping through the halls, warning everyone to get to class.

With a glance at his watch, the brown haired boy smiled apologetically at the girl and said, "We should get to class now."

The girl nodded, and the two ran off in separate directions. As the girl ran, she heard a voice from far behind her calling, "See you around!"

Later, as the blue-haired girl drifted in her thoughts during class, she just couldn't get the boy out of her mind.

Perhaps she had fallen for him.

* * *

When they were thirteen, the two were put in the same homeroom, and finally learned each other's names.

They soon became friends, lunch table buddies, group partners.

And the blue haired girl found herself falling for him more and more each day.

The two were always accused of liking each other by their friends. The two denied it every time, but the girl couldn't help but feel wistful at the thought that he most likely didn't like her back.

Maybe not even 'most likely'.

More like 'not at all'.

One day their friends were teasing her as usual, and one asked her, "What do you like best about him?"

The girl rolled her eyes mockingly, and looked in the boy's direction. He gave her a joking smile and she casually replied, "Nothing."

_Everything_.

His piercing eyes, his bright smile, even his geeky jokes. She liked all of it.

She thought of him first thing in the morning when she woke up, she loved seeing him throughout the day at school, she missed him once school was dismissed, she fell asleep thinking of him, and he haunted her dreams at night.

She didn't know why she liked him so much. She just _did_.

* * *

Years passed. The two entered into high school, grew taller and more mature, and the girl just couldn't keep her eyes off of him.

She grew jealous as she noticed that other girls couldn't keep their eyes off of him either. They came to him like wild animals, attempting to flirt with him and ask him out.

And every time he'd reject them, in his quiet and polite way.

And every time it gave the blue-haired girl hope.

But it wasn't only him who was asked out frequently.

The girl noticed that boys would confess to her suddenly. She usually had no idea who they were, and it shocked her that there would actually be people who actually _liked_ her.

One afternoon during lunch she was sitting at her usual lunch table, at her usual spot right across from the brown haired boy. The two were talking cheerfully with their friends about the newest store at the local mall and were making plans to hang out there later, when a boy with dark blue hair walked behind the girl.

Surprised, the girl turned around and faced him. She knew him; he was two years senior to her, and one of the well-known students of the school, due to his signature blue scarf and honest personality.

"Hey," he greeted the girl. "I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me?"

It was a simple phrase, but she was left absolutely bewildered.

The girl gaped at him. One of her friends, a small girl with short blonde hair, nudged her elbow. She gave her a look that read, 'He's asking you out! Say something!'

The blue haired girl took a quick glance at the brown haired boy, who was staring at the dark blue haired boy with an unreadable expression.

"Um...no?"

That was the first time someone tried to ask her out. But just like the brown haired boy she liked, the girl would reject the person, quietly and politely.

Often times she felt her blood boil whenever a girl tried to flirt with the boy. _Jealousy_, she knew.

Was he ever jealous when someone tried to ask _her_ out?

She often wondered if he ever felt the same way about her.

She'd spent nights tossing and turning about it, her head spinning, and spinning, as she thought about him.

Maybe he did, maybe he didn't.

She had a 50% chance.

Right?

* * *

It happened when they were sixteen.

A month before their first school dance, she was wandering the hallways, looking for him. It was after school, and they were supposed to go to the library together to study for an upcoming exam.

As she walked on, she saw light and voices coming out of a nearby classroom in front of her. The girl walked closer to the classroom and heard the boy's voice, talking with one of his friends.

With a cheerful smile, she skipped happily to the room, and was about to place her hand on the doorknob when she heard her name.

She stiffened and leaned her ear on the door. Were they talking about her?

"...oh, so you rejected all those girls to take _her_ to the dance?"

Her? Was his friend saying the boy was going to ask her to the dance?

"We're like best friends, dude. And I hardly know those other girls who kept pestering me, and-"

"Do you like her?"

The girl froze in her place. What was she doing anyway, eavesdropping on them? She had no right to.

But still...she was dying to hear his answer.

"Of course I like her."

The girl's eyes widened.

"I mean, of course I like her...she's my best friend. I don't _dislike_ her."

The girl could feel her head throbbing. She forced a silent laugh. Even in this moment of seriousness, the boy still managed to be dense.

She could hear his friend slap his forehead in disbelief, sighing dramatically.

"Not that kind of like. As in, _like_. Romantically. Infatuation. _A crush_ perhaps."

There was a moment of silence, and the only thing the girl could hear was her breathing. She breathed in, she breathed out, but she felt her breath stop when she heard the boy say,

"I don't have a crush on her."

The girl ran.

* * *

Two weeks later he asked her to go to the dance with him.

It wasn't too romantic, really.

It started with sticky notes.

One morning the girl opened her locker to find a bright yellow sticky note sitting on top one of her books. She picked it up curiously, only to find there was one word written on it: _Will_.

She hadn't forgotten that fateful day two weeks earlier, where she heard the brown haired boy flat out _reject_ her. In fact, she had cried herself to sleep every night since then.

What she _had_ forgotten was the fact that he was going to ask her to the dance.

The next morning the blue haired girl found another sticky note, with an odd phrase: _UGOTO._

She was baffled. What in the world was "Ugoto"? "U got o"? "Ug oto"?

The words didn't become clear until the next day, when she opened her locker expectedly and found another note: _The Dance_.

Putting the sticky notes together, she realized it said: _Will you go to the dance_. "With me" was the next sticky note, she was sure of it.

She certainly thought it was an interesting way to ask someone. The past few days she saw the usual ways that guys were asking their girlfriends to the dance: giving them flowers, holding up signs, publicly asking them during breaks.

A rush of excitement passed through her. No one had ever asked her to a dance before. She didn't bother to wonder just _who_ would ask.

The girl with blue hair practically ran to her locker the next day, expecting another sticky note with the words "with me" written on it and possibly a flower or two.

She couldn't hide her disappointment when she found her locker empty of sticky notes, flowers, and anything potentially related to asking-out-to-a-dance materials.

Sighing, she slammed her locker shut when a figure appeared behind her.

She spun around quickly to see the boy with brown hair grinning at her, holding a doll with a sticky note attached to it saying: _With me_.

"Will you go to the dance with me?"

The girl looked into his eyes and saw them twinkling back at her happily, and she broke into a smile. "Yes!"

He handed her the doll and she held it up. "It's really cute," she cooed. "Is this for me?"

The boy nodded. "I, uh, saw it at a store some time ago," he said, his hand behind his head nervously. "It reminded me of you, so I got it."

It had blue hair tied up into two pigtails, a blue dress with ribbons on it, and red stockings.

It was cute. And it looked like her.

"Oh yeah, this also came with it..." The boy held out a clown mask. "But it made it look kind of creepy, haha. I guess it's like a cute version of a pierrot."

The girl took it and held it along with the doll close to her chest. "It's a cute pierrot. I love it. Thank you for asking me to the dance." She smiled.

"Of course," he grinned back. "We're best friends. I couldn't go to my first dance without you."

_Friends_.

Everything that happened _that day_ came rushing back to her, and her smile dropped.

Of course, how could she have forgotten? He asked her to the dance just as friends. Because they were _friends_.

And nothing more.

Absolutely nothing.

* * *

The dance went well. The boy was a true gentlemen, getting her drinks and food when she needed a quick snack, taking breaks from dancing when she was tired, told her jokes when she was losing her smile.

In all honesty, she enjoyed it.

But then she'd look at him with her big eyes and he'd smile at her, and she'd suddenly remember that _they're only here as friends_.

And then her mood would drop.

One minute she was happy and excited, being in his arms during a dance.

The next she would be sad, disappointed, upset, angry.

As friends? Really?

He had so many girls chasing after him, she had so many guys chasing after her. They could've just gone with someone else, someone who would treat them as an actual _date_, someone who they could slow dance with and maybe even share a kiss secretly outside the school.

But they go _as friends_, best friends, just two people who are there because they're so close but are not together.

What the heck did he take her as?

Was she someone who he could just go around with whenever he wanted? Sure she was his best friend, but _as friends_?

Suddenly she remembered something.

_"We're like best friends, dude. And I hardly know those other girls who kept pestering me, and-"_

The girl with blue hair frowned. Was that how it is? He asked her because he didn't want to go with one of those fangirls?

Her jaw dropped. It all made sense now.

In a sense, he was practically...practically..._using her_!

He didn't want to go alone, and he definitely didn't want to go with his crazy fangirls, so he asked her to go to the dance so the fangirls would stop asking him and he would have an excuse to go with someone.

She bit her lip and felt her eyes water. But he didn't seem like that kind of person...

_But the evidence was right there!_

Wiping her eyes carefully she stood up and finished the last of her water. The current song faded away and switched to a slow song.

As she put her cup down, the boy with brown hair came toward her, a hand outstretched.

"It's the last dance of the night. Dance with me?" he offered her a soft smile.

Her heart beat fast and she felt she couldn't breathe. The two had danced to many of the party songs, but they hadn't danced a slow song yet.

As she looked into his eyes, she wondered. Was he using her? Or was she wrong this whole time?

She grabbed his hand and he led her to the dance floor.

The song was slow and sweet. The boy put his hands around her waist as she put her arms around his neck. She could feel her face blushing hard and hoped he couldn't see it because of the few lights.

The two swayed to the music and as they reached the middle of the song, he carefully pulled her closer to him.

She squeaked silently as her head rested on his shoulder. She could feel his warm breath and her heart pumping faster.

_"Is this a dream?"_

As she closed her eyes and relaxed, all thoughts of his "manipulation" flew away. There was only one thing on her mind that night.

And the evidence was right there.

And even if they were just _best friends_, and if he was just _using her_, it didn't matter.

She could tell.

She was in love with him.

* * *

Months passed.

Every day she fell more and more in love with him.

She cherished every moment she had with him.

Every time he smiled at her, she felt like she was breaking.

Some days her love would make her feel like every day was a dream, a happy never ending dream where it was just the two of them.

The girl could only see him. He was the only one in her eyes.

Her breath would stop at the very sight of him.

Often times she'd ask herself, was she going crazy?

But there would be times when she'd just sit back and watch him, and wonder, does he like her? The same way that she likes him?

Does he love her? The same way that she loves him?

Some days she would cry herself to sleep wondering. She tried to think, she looked for any signs, but sometimes she'd wonder if she was just fooling herself.

He treats her like she's so special. But was that just because they were best friends? And nothing more?

_"The things he does...is it because I'm special? Is it because we're best friends? Or is he...manipulating me?"_

The girl couldn't stop wondering.

Her love for him was too much. She felt so many emotions for him, and she wondered if it would ever end.

* * *

Finally, it grew too much for the blue-haired girl.

She loved him. But she was breaking, not knowing if he loved her back, or if...if...if he was just using her.

Was she growing too paranoid about it?

Perhaps.

Enough was enough.

The girl sat on her bed and sighed. She looked at the doll he gave her many months ago and spotted the clown mask laying beside it.

Grabbing the doll, she placed the clown mask on it.

_Pierrot_.

A fool.

Manipulated.

_Maybe just like her?_

She laughed bitterly. If he was really manipulating her, and all those things weren't just because they were "best friends", then this gift that he gave her...

Oh, the irony.

Was that how it was?

He didn't love her, but he was manipulating her...commanding her...pulling her strings to make her do his will.

She shook her head. The brown haired boy that she loved wouldn't do that.

Would he?

Her head hurt from too much thinking and wondering about it.

There was only one way to find out.

She bit her lip nervously. Could she do it? Could she confess to him?

What if their friendship shredded to pieces because he didn't like her back?

But...

What if he did like her back?

Her eyes widened.

But what if he lied to her and said he liked her back, but really didn't and would only use and manipulate her more knowing that she liked him?

The girl felt as if she was spinning back and forth. The thoughts whirled around in her brain.

Yes, no, manipulate...

Which was the correct answer?

Or was she just growing more paranoid by the second?

* * *

She made her decision when she had just turned eighteen.

_"Eighteen years old...and already crazy."_

The girl was positive. She had thought about this for months, and she was going to go through with her decision, whether she liked it or not.

She would confess to the brown haired boy.

The blue-haired girl would find out once and for all, if he loved her...or if he was just using her all this time.

If he was just manipulating her, why did she let him?

Oh right, she loved him too much. She followed him too blindly.

And that would end. Now.

"Hey!" _Speak of the devil._

The brown haired boy walked next to her down the hall, wearing his usual grin and his eyes that seemed to sparkle whenever he saw her.

Or was that just her imagination?

"Hey," she replied back, forcing a small smile onto her face.

Now's the time.

"You busy this Saturday?" she asked him.

He shook his head. "Why, what's up? Did you want to see that new movie coming out this weekend?" He casually swung his arm around her shoulder as the two walked outside.

She could feel her breath hitch and she tried to relax. "Oh right, I almost forgot. We should watch it!"

She closed her eyes. "Also, there's something I need to tell you. Meet me by the park before the movie? Eleven o'clock?"

The bell rang, signaling that it was time to walk to their next class.

The boy winked at her and nodded. "Looking forward to it~" he sang as he headed towards his class.

The girl placed a hand on her chest and released a breath she hadn't realized she had held.

She did it.

Soon, she would know the answer.

* * *

Saturday came quicker than she expected.

She was restless the night before. It was as if her mind was somewhere else, and her body was just moving automatically.

_Like pulling the strings of a doll_.

The girl had accidentally turned on the cold water to the shower. She had accidentally used a fork instead of a spoon to eat her cereal. She accidentally put her clothes on backward, she almost forgot her cell phone.

She was out of the door in a daze, not even looking at the clock, and almost forgot which park to go to.

The girl gripped her hands on the bench firmly, her heartbeat running wildly and beads of sweat dropping down her forehead.

Today was the day, wasn't it?

How was she going to confess to him?

She didn't dare look up. She felt as though the people walking by were watching her.

Were they watching her?

Did they know?

That's impossible!

A passerby caught her eye. She turned away quickly, and he just shrugged it off and walked off to his companions. She heard them laugh.

Were they laughing at her?

The girl shook her head firmly. She was even more paranoid than usual today.

Where was he? The blue-haired girl took a look at her watch. It was almost eleven o'clock.

Wait.

But it felt like she had been there for hours.

Then it hit her.

She had arrived two hours early and had been waiting there, not realizing it.

The girl laughed. She was really going crazy today, wasn't she?

* * *

Five, four, three, two, one.

The hand on her watch hit eleven o'clock exactly.

She looked around, searching for the brown-haired boy.

And there he was, running at her and waving with that same smile on his face.

Her face broke into a smile as she waved back.

Then with a blink, he was next to her, and she realized it was the day to confess.

Breathing in and out the same time as the boy panted after running so fast, the two looked at each other.

This is it.

For a second, the girl stood still as she held her breath.

Maybe it would be better if she didn't try to find out?

No.

She had to do this.

For the sake of her love, and for her sanity.

The boy smiled at her, and she felt like she was going to break.

When she tells him, things will change. For good...or for bad.

"What's up?" he smiled. When he saw the look on her face, his face fell. He grew concerned.

"Hey, what's wrong...?" The girl could feel her eyes tear up.

_I'm tired of this. I just want to know the answer._

"You..." the blue-haired girl smiled softly at the boy. "I like you."

_But if you don't like me back...if you really are just manipulating me..._

_I guess I'm okay with that.  
_

_I love you.  
_

* * *

**It doesn't end there~ This is a three-shot! **

**(Oh, you thought this was a one-shot? Trolololol it's not over yet!)**

**Anyways. This is my first story for the Vocaloid fandom, I hope I did well. c: It's not exactly based like Karakuri Pierrot, just inspired and slightly based on it. So it might differ from the song a bit.  
**

**The next chapter will be up August 13, and the third part will be up September 13, unless I decide to be generous and give it early~  
**

**Thanks for reading~  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**Happy 2nd Month Anniversary to Chronos and Blue Rose~  
And many more months to come!**

* * *

—karakuri pierrot—

【からくりピエロ】

It's a coincidence, and yet also fate,  
for I knew it'd be better if I didn't try to find out.  
I felt your warmth on my skin.  
Your smile and your gestures are going to break me.

* * *

Her smile dazzled him.

In all his eight years of living, he had never known anyone else who smiled as brightly as the blue-haired girl from the other class.

He didn't think he liked her - he was _eight_, and still believed in cooties and whatnot - but he liked looking at her, if that made sense.

She was cute. She was nice. And her smile was so happy and so full of life that the brown haired boy never wanted to look away sometimes.

They were in different classes at school, so it was unlikely that they would ever be friends.

The boy didn't think she noticed him, but he didn't mind.

Not at all.

* * *

Time passed for the two of them. The brown haired boy frequently saw the blue haired girl around school and on the playground, but he knew she never glanced his way.

Soon they graduated elementary and entered middle school.

Imagine his surprise when he discovered they were in the same middle school.

He wondered if they would finally get to know each other, and maybe even be put into the same class.

His wishes came true with a chance encounter - when he accidentally bumped into her in the hallway.

Break had just ended and he mistakenly took his sweet, sweet time eating some chips. He hadn't eaten breakfast that morning and he was starving. When he glanced at his watch, he gasped that he only had a few minutes to get to his next class.

After the boy got his books from his locker, he abruptly turned and in his haste, he bumped into someone.

That someone turned out to be the blue-haired girl.

Their books and papers went flying, and as the girl was about to fall to the floor the boy caught her quickly.

She squeaked an apology and they both rushed to gather up their things. At some point or another they brushed hands, and the boy could feel a spark shock through his arm.

Once they glanced at each other, and he looked into her deep blue eyes. He had never been this up close with her before, and he was amazed by what a rich color her eyes were, compared to his plain dark brown ones.

When they had given each other their respected things, he smiled at her. She squeaked another apology and smiled at him, and he was pleased to see her dazzling smile up close.

"It's alright," he had responded casually. He longed to ask for her name, and just as he opened his mouth the hall monitor was yelling at them to get to class.

With a glance at his watch, he realized they barely had one minute left. "We should get to class now," he managed to say.

They both ran their oppose ways, but not before the boy took a chance and turned around and called to her, "See you around!"

Hoping she heard him, he ran into his classroom with ten seconds to spare, a grin on his face.

* * *

The months passed and the boy frequently looked for the girl in between classes. To his surprise, he would catch her glancing at him sometimes.

After all these years, she had finally noticed him.

The boy just couldn't get the courage to go up to her and talk to her, and she didn't go up to him either. They stayed that way, spotting each other at lunch or in the halls and offering small smiles at each other.

Finally, a year later, he was prepared to jump up in joy when he found out they were put in the same class.

On the first day of classes, he walked into his homeroom feeling sleepy. He was still in summer-mode, and was a little lost trying to find his first class. That is, until he saw a certain blue-haired girl sitting by the window.

With that, he rushed to claim the seat next to her, and the girl turned to look at him as he sat down. Her eyes widened when she saw who it was.

"Hello," he gave her a grin.

She smiled. "Hello yourself."

They introduced themselves to one another, and soon they found themselves laughing and chatting.

The two were fast friends, and were always with each other, whether they were chatting or teasing each other playfully.

Their other friends always accused them of liking each other. With a glance at the girl, the boy would easily deny it.

He didn't mind, after all, they were just friends. And what was the chances the she liked him? Nobody would like a goofy guy like him.

She was too good for him anyway.

_Friends it was._

* * *

As the months passed, they found themselves becoming closer friends to the point where anyone who saw them automatically knew they were the best of friends.

The brown haired boy loved hanging out with her. There was something - something - about her that was just...different from other girls.

So maybe he had a little crush on her. Just a little.

He just couldn't help himself. Her smile was infectious, her personality was beautiful, and she could understand him. He wouldn't ask for anything else in the world.

But there would be times when he'd be a little noticed that the blue haired girl would sometimes talk to her best girl friend - a petite girl with short blonde hair and a ever-present ribbon headband on her head - about _boys_.

His own best guy friend, a tall guy with blonde hair that was long enough for him to tie back, just stated that girls tended to do that. The blonde boy always shrugged and said, quote, that he didn't have to care, anyway, since the brown haired boy didn't like the blue haired girl.

Right?

But the brown haired boy was curious. Was there a chance that they were talking about him?

Not that he _liked_ the blue haired girl. He just wanted to know. Anyone would want to know if someone was talking about them, right?

One day he pulled aside the blonde girl and asked her, "I was just wondering, does she like anyone? I mean, you two are always talking about boys and stuff..."

She just giggled and shrugged. "Correction. I'm the one who starts those conversations. And if she does like anyone, she's never told me." Her lips formed into a small smirk and she winked. "But don't worry. I ship you two together anyway."

The brown haired boy could feel a little heat rush up to his cheeks, and he tried to ignore it. "I don't like her!" he protested. "I'm just curious, you know?"

"You're so curious, yeah?" she laughed. "I've asked her about it, but she would just give me a knowing smile and say 'It's someone you know'."

The boy felt oddly discouraged. _Someone you know?_ That could be anyone.

Looking around his school, his mood only dampened. There were over a hundred of other boys here, and it could be any one of them.

Unless...she was talking about one of her friends?

Their group of friends was small, and there was only him and the blonde boy, and occasionally other guys he hung out with.

Calculating the odds - and the brown haired boy was no genius - he probably had a...25% chance that it would be him.

Wouldn't that be great? To have the girl you lik- _have a crush on_ have a crush on you too.

_But they were best friends_, he concluded, crinkling his nose. Falling in lo- _having a crush_ on your best friend...that's risky business.

If anything went wrong, their friendship would be over. He shook his head.

No, he didn't want that. He'd longed to be her friends for years, and now here they were, best friends. He didn't want to ruin that.

But still...

* * *

It was finally the day of their middle school graduation.

The brown haired boy owed a lot to his school, since it was his ticket of becoming friends with the blue haired girl.

And now the years have passed, and they're graduating. Together.

Wow.

He sat in his seat, ignoring the speaker who was blabbing about _who knows what_ and occasionally glancing at the blue haired girl in her shiny blue graduation gown. She was looking very nice today, and the gown complimented her darker, shinier, blue hair. Her smile was still planted on her face, and she caught his eye and winked.

He grinned at her and leaned back on his seat. His mind wandered to the future.

It was certain they would still be best friends in high school. Nothing could break their close friendship.

But he was worried. Best friends or not, high school is when most people started...dating.

The brown haired boy wasn't interested in dating, to say the least. Plus there weren't any girls who interested him.

Except the blue haired girl.

_But they were best friends._

So maybe he had accepted the fact that he liked her. It had taken him a while to come to terms with himself, but he reasoned that it was absolutely normal to start liking a person who you're close with.

He'd seen it in endless books and movies, where a person would spend a lot of time with another and start developing feelings for them.

So he allowed himself to like her. The feeling would go away soon, right?

But...what if it didn't? Would he keep his feelings until they grew and grew...into love?

He mentally kicked himself.

He didn't love her in a romantic way, did he?

Sure, he thought about her a lot and he loved her smile and whenever they were in close contact his heart would pump just a little faster-

_Oh god._

The brown haired boy almost slapped himself.

He fell in love with the blue haired girl.

He wasn't supposed to fall in love with his best friend!

Ruffling his wavy brown hair - his mom would kill him later for ruining his hair, but he could care less at the moment - he fought the urge to flail around in frustration.

They were friends.

Best friends.

And she probably didn't even look at him in a romantic way.

Not to mention they were graduating _right at this very moment_ and when they reached high school he was absolutely positive there would be tons of other guys swooning over her and she would probably fall in love with someone who was cooler and manlier and-

_Not _her best friend.

He furrowed his eyebrows, frustrated.

_Think positive._

Okay, so what if she liked him? Then what?

Statistically speaking - and the brown-haired boy wasn't a genius - the chance for her to like him was, say...

0.0000000001%?

He shook his head. He wasn't making the situation any better, really. He was just making it worse for himself.

50% then.

Half a chance that she likes him back and they would ride by the sunset in blissful happiness, and half a chance that she never even saw him as a "significant other" and probably never would.

The brown haired boy hoped desperately for the first one.

He slumped in his seat.

* * *

It was the after-graduation party. The brown haired boy was hanging out with his usual group of guy friends, and together they talked about their plans for high school.

The brown haired boy froze when his friends moved the topic of conversation onto dating. To his relief, their conversation was cut short when a friend of theirs, a tall, happy girl with short green hair barged in.

"Hey guys! I need your opinion on something!"

Her green hair swished back and forth as she ran to them, waving around a book.

"You see, me and the girls found this book of quotes the other day and we found this really interesting quote! Since you guys are smart-" a few of the guys snorted, cutting her off. "As I was saying," she demanded, "since some of you guys are smart..." She gestured to the brown haired boy who just stared at her. "Help me figure out the meaning!"

One of his friends, the guy with blonde hair that was always tied back, just laughed. "You should've paid more attention during Literature class. Analyzing quotes are easy."

The green haired girl glared at him. "Anyways, the quote is," she read aloud from the book. "If you love someone, set them free. If they come back they're yours; if they don't they never were, from Richard Bach."

The boys sat and thought about it. "The girls and I assumed that these people were in a relationship, and let's say the guy broke up with the girl for her own good. And if the girl loved the guy again, then they were meant to be. You know what they say, love always finds a way~~" the green haired girl sang.

Some of the boys nodded in agreement. "That sounds logical. You already have an explanation, why do you need our help?"

She shook her head. "It seems like there's something missing, though. That can't be the only interpretation."

They all turned to the brown haired boy. He had stayed silent during their discussion.

"Well I'm no genius," the brown haired boy started, "but what if you looked at it in a different way? Like, pretend that they're not in a relationship.

"Now pretend the guy likes the girl. But because of certain circumstances, he has to give up on her. That could be another meaning to the 'set them free' part, like, he's letting her go in case there's someone better out there who can love her."

The brown haired boy continued. "But if it somehow happens that the girl loves the guy back, and the guy still loves her, meaning that he just couldn't give up on her, then it was meant to be. Something like that. Do you get what I'm saying?" he asked, scratching the back of his head.

His friends just stared at him wide-eyed and nodded. A split second later, they were back to their rowdy selves. "Dude, you're so smart! And you're always saying you're not a genius!" they laughed.

At that moment, the blue haired girl walked in. She gave the brown haired boy a smile, and gestured to the green haired girl. "I'm guessing you guys figured out an explanation?"

They exclaimed in agreement, and gestured at the brown haired boy, saying he came up with the most logical interpretation. The brown haired boy just smiled sheepishly as the blue haired girl gave him a smile.

Soon, they and their whole graduating class gathered outside the party for cake. The brown haired boy sat down and ate his cake as he watched his classmates spend their remaining time together happily.

His eyes traveled through the room until they landed on the blue haired girl. She was laughing and chatting with her girl friends, the ones who would be attending a different high school from them.

The brown haired boy smiled to himself. His mind wandered to the conversation from before, when they were analyzing the quotation. Then, with a shock, he realized that his own interpretation matched the situation similar to his.

To give up on the girl you like because there's someone better out there for her...could he do that for the blue haired girl?

High school was on its way, and earlier that day he was so worked up over her liking someone else in high school.

If that happened, what would he do?

He frowned to himself.

_If you love someone, set them free. If they come back they're yours; if they don't they never were._

That's when he decided that he would try to give up on the blue haired girl.

_There's probably someone out there who can love her better than I can. _

The chances that she would like him back were slim, he thought, but he decided that if she ever did like him back, then it would be fine to like her.

Maybe it was a stupid reason for him to do this. But the more he thought about it, the more it made sense.

They would be going off to high school, meeting new people...she might find her true love there.

And if it wasn't him, then...

As he finished eating his cake, he stood up with a determined face.

He had to stop liking his best friend.

* * *

High school came around.

The brown haired boy tried to stop liking her, but for some reason, there was still that part of him that liked her.

A lot.

He realized this one day after school, a few months into their first year of high school.

His group of friends - still including the blue haired girl - were chatting by the lunch tables and doing their homework. Every now and then he would secretly admire how the blue haired girl's smiles seemed brighter and happier.

The brown haired boy was watching her as she did her math homework when suddenly, a classmate of theirs appeared at their table.

They greeted her, and the brown haired boy stared at her, trying to remember what her name was.

She was one of those popular people at their school, with her famous long blonde hair.

The boy watched her chat with his friends, and again wondered what her name was.

_It started with an L, didn't it? Leila, Laura, Lilian...what was it again?_

Suddenly, she sat at the spot next to him, her long blonde hair almost hitting his face.

She clutched onto his arm and winked at him. His guy friends whooped while his girl friends just watched, amused.

"So, the school musical's this Friday," the girl whose name started with an L gave him a flirtatious smile. "Wanna be my date?"

The boy blinked and he tried to avoid her intense gaze at him. His eyes traveled to the blue haired girl, who was staring at the two of them. He couldn't read her emotion; he had never seen her this way before.

He wondered what she was feeling.

Plastering a polite smile on his face, he shoved the girl away lightly. "No thank you," he rejected. "I'm not interested in you. And I'm going to the musical with someone anyway."

The blonde haired girl stood up dejectedly. "Oh well," she gave an amused sigh. "I'm not usually rejected. But I just couldn't _not_ ask out a guy like you." She was known for being a flirty girl, and she had quite a few boyfriends already. "Just be warned, I'm not the only girl who's got an eye on you. Those girls won't handle rejection so casually like I did." She flipped her hair and waved them goodbye.

The brown haired boy's guy friends all crowded around him and teased him for getting asked out by one of the popular girls. After they were content, the blue haired girl leaned forward and eyed the boy, who was sitting right across from her.

"What was that all about?"

He gave her a cheeky grin and winked. "Maybe I'm just too hot for the girls to handle, you know?"

The blue haired girl laughed. "You're such a tease. And you're going with someone to the musical? Since when?"

"Since now," he smiled at her. "You're going to come with me."

"Me?" the blue haired girl squeaked.

"Why not," the brown haired boy crossed his arms coolly. "Or would you rather I go with that girl instead?"

The girl puffed up her cheeks cutely and shook her head. "Of course I'll go with you!"

The boy danced a victory dance in his mind.

It was a date.

...as best friends, _of course_.

He didn't like the blue haired girl that way anymore.

Did he?

* * *

The L girl had been right.

Soon after, the boy noticed that girls were swarming around him, trying to flirt with him or ask him on dates. Some were people who he knew, to his surprise, and some were people who he had never even met before.

They were all pretty girls, but he just didn't feel right around them. The only one that felt right was when he was with the blue haired girl.

Who was his best friend, you know.

He rejected the girls each time.

At first he was worried that the blue haired girl would be bothered by the fangirls swarming up to him all the time, but then he realized that she had to deal with the same thing.

With a scowl, he watched boys try to ask the girl on dates, but he was relieved each time when she rejected them too.

A good thing did come out of it though.

The two of them weren't very interested in dating those people who always asked them out, and so they frequently did things together.

Although most of the school were convinced that they were a couple as they were always together and hanging out, they denied it every time.

"We're just best friends," they would say. But the brown haired boy always felt a his heart break just a little after saying that.

Sometimes he would look at her and wonder, did she ever feel the same way he does?

Either she didn't like him at all, or she was just really good at hiding her feelings.

He always felt like smashing his head on the wall whenever he wondered which one it would be.

* * *

Even though the blue haired girl rejected each guy that asked her out, the brown haired boy still didn't feel that it was safe to like her again.

He recalled that she liked somebody.

Somebody he knew.

That was back in middle school though, and so that means the chances of her still liking that somebody were down.

Unless he went to the same high school as them?

His feelings were too confused.

Did he still like her?

Did he not like her?

Why did he feel the need to _not_ like her, because there was a chance that her true love wouldn't be him?

Where was the sense in that?

The boy wanted to see her happy. So if she found love in someone not him, he would be happy for her.

But if the chances of her liking _him_ were so low, what was the point of loving her then?

_Confusion._

But it didn't matter.

Because he loved her no matter what.

Even if she never came to love him back.

The blue haired girl was the only one for him.

The boy couldn't deny it any longer.

Best friends or not, one-sided feelings or not...

No matter what he did, he couldn't stop loving her.

His heart knew that.

_Love_.

* * *

It was a month before their first high school dance.

The brown haired boy was with his blonde friend again, and they were in detention for being late to class earlier that day.

The teacher in charge had left the room to buy food, and so they were free to chat until the teacher came back.

His head on his desk, the blonde boy asked, "So what are you going to do after detention?"

The brown haired boy replied that he was going to go study with the blue haired girl in the library.

They both yawned in boredom.

"Oh yeah, this morning was crazy wasn't it? All those girls kept chasing you around, trying to get you to go to the dance with them," the blonde boy laughed. He wasn't as popular as his friend, but he had no need to be jealous. He was successfully taking the short, blonde haired girl with the ribbon headband to the dance.

The brown haired boy grunted in response. "But you know, I didn't wanna go with any of them anyway. I was thinking about asking-"

"Oh, duh! I should've known. So you rejected all those girls to take her to the dance?"

"We're like best friends, dude," the brown haired boy just rolled his eyes in response. The answer was obvious and had been repeated billions of times. "And I hardly know those other girls who kept pestering me, and-"

"Do you like her?"

The brown haired boy was cut short by the abrupt question.

"Of course I like her. I mean, of course I like her...she's my best friend. I don't _dislike_ her."

His feelings...they were a secret. Although the guy in front of him was his best guy friend, he just couldn't bring himself to tell him the truth.

Besides, he could never figure out his feelings.

One minute he'd be trying to make himself stop liking her, because he knew there's always someone better out there, and the next he'd be smiling to himself whenever he thought about her.

It was like he was trying to stop his heart from beating fast for her.

The brown haired boy was very confused with his feelings.

The blonde just slapped his forehead in disbelief and sighed dramatically. "Not that kind of like. As in, _like_. Romantically. Infatuation. _A crush_ perhaps."

He wasn't stupid. Of course he understood the first meaning.

But he couldn't say it.

_Best friends_, he reminded himself.

"I don't have a crush on her."

He looked away from his friend for a moment.

It was true.

He didn't have a crush on the blue haired girl.

No, it was more than a measly crush.

Although he didn't know a lot of things, he knew that...

It was love.

* * *

So he asked her out to the dance, just as he had said.

As they danced together, it felt like he was dreaming.

Was it a dream?

When he put his arms around her waist, and she put his arms around his neck, he felt like he was going to break.

He had never felt so happy before. His face blushing, he wished that he could hold her like that forever.

So what if she didn't like him back?

He loved her nevertheless.

The boy had realized that his best friends excuse...was just an excuse to be able to show his love to her without her knowing.

She probably didn't like him anyway.

And so under the guise of _best friends_, they hung out. And they talked. And they laughed.

Not to mention he could tease her, and act flirty around her, and she would never get too suspicious.

Because she might like someone else anyway.

_She probably doesn't even notice that I do all this...she probably just accepts it because we're "best friends"._

Was he happy living that way?

Not really.

But as long as they were still friends, and still happy together, he didn't mind that she didn't love him back.

He didn't mind most of the time. Because he was always with her.

It was when he _wasn't_ with her that he minded.

It was during those times when he would push away the "best friend" guise and think about her as something more.

He would think about his feelings, whether or not she liked him back, whether he'd be friend-zoned forever...

It was only then he allowed himself to think that way.

* * *

The years passed.

The brown haired boy wondered how much longer he could live under the "best friend" guise.

If only once, he wanted to act like a couple with her.

It would be fine, right? He didn't think she would notice, actually.

Did she ever notice that all those times...

When he accidentally touched her, held her hand, hugged her...

Did she ever notice that those were all real?

That he really did love her that way?

That it wasn't just him teasing her?

He sighed.

Probably not.

_Just for one day...I really wanna see how it would be like to be her boyfriend._

Then he thought of a good idea.

They could go on a date.

Well, date to him. "Best friends hang out" to her.

As he walked down the hallway thinking of his plan, he spotted the blue haired girl and his eyes lit up.

"Hey!" he called, grinning at her. The two walked next to each other down the hall.

"Hey," she replied back, a small smile on her face.

Just as he was about to talk, she cut him off, saying, "You busy this Saturday?"

_What a coincidence. I was just about to ask that.  
_

"Why, what's up? Did you want to see that new movie coming out this weekend?"

Before he realized it, the boy had swung his arm around her shoulder as the two walked outside. He felt his heart beating fast as he held onto her shoulders, and he tried to act casual.

_So this is what it's like to hold her like this. __I wish I could do this all the time._

"Oh right, I almost forgot. We should watch it! Also, there's something I need to tell you. Meet me by the park before the movie? Eleven o'clock?"

Something he needed to tell her?

The bell rang, cutting off his thoughts. The brown haired boy gave her a wink and nodded. He had grown used to acting a little flirty around her. "Looking forward to it~"

As he went to his class, his thoughts wandered again.

What could be so important that they needed to meet up like that?

All kinds of things popped up in his mind, but one stood out to him the most.

What if she was going to tell him that she had a boyfriend already?

It made some sense. Spring break had just ended. Something could have happened over the last few weeks.

No, that couldn't be it.

He was just thinking negative again.

Just think positive.

The boy would commence his "act like a couple" plan during the movie.

A dreamy smile was on his face at the thought of pretending - even for a little while - that he was the blue haired girl's boyfriend.

_Happy thoughts_.

* * *

Finally, it was the Saturday.

The boy had overslept; he had stayed up late that night, too excited to fall asleep.

He rushed to the park, hoping that he'd make it on time.

When he reached the park, he ran faster when he saw the blue haired girl waiting for him, staring at her watch.

As he grew closer to her, he waved and smiled, and she did the same.

Finally, the brown haired boy was next to her, and he panted from running so fast.

They exchanged glances and smiles, and again the brown haired boy felt his heart beating fast.

And it wasn't just because he had run so fast.

"What's up?" he smiled at her. He watched as her smile turned into a frown and her face fell.

He panicked. What was going on?

What was she going to tell him?

She...if she had a boyfriend...and over spring break...

His eyes widened.

The blue haired girl wasn't pregnant, was she?

He watched as her eyes started tearing up, and he tried to remain calm. "Hey, what's wrong...?"

The words that came out of her mouth wasn't what he was expecting at all.

"You..." the blue-haired girl smiled softly at the him. "I like you."

* * *

**Dun, dun, dun~ **

**This chapter was a little longer than the previous one, but for good cause!  
**

**The next and final chapter will be published by September 13, hopefully.  
**

**Thanks for reading!  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**Happy 3rd Month Anniversary to the Blue Rose Couple~  
And Happy Early Birthday to Chronos~**

* * *

—karakuri pierrot—

【からくりピエロ】

Ah, that things will begin to change,  
ah, is a scary thought.  
I quit. I'm not waiting here for you anymore.  
Otherwise, I really will end up breaking.

* * *

"You... I like you."

The blue haired girl quietly sucked in a breath and spared a glance at the brown haired boy who was staring at her, gaping.

She did it. She had confessed. After all those years...

She felt like she was going to pass out from shock.

.

The brown haired boy was speechless.

What-? How-?

Was he dreaming? Was the blushing blue haired girl in front of him, the very one that he had fought his feelings about for years on end, did she actually...confess to him?

But she had. And he couldn't bring himself to say anything at that moment.

His emotions were plentiful, but two were most present: shock, of course, and most especially, this tight-clenching feeling that he presumed was all his feelings catching up to him and making him feel this explosion of happiness.

"You," the brown haired boy managed to spit out, "You like me...?"

.

The blue haired girl swallowed a gulp and tried to read the emotions of her best friend and love. Did he like her back? What made him so shocked?

Suddenly a thought came to her; perhaps he didn't like her back. That was why he was so shocked.

He hadn't expected his best friend to like him... love him even. Fighting back tears, the blue haired girl contemplated what to do next.

Before she knew it, the words were spilling out of her mouth desperately.

"I know you don't like me back," she choked, "but I had to say it. This feeling...has been bothering me for so long now."

"I'm sure you only view us as friends, best friends..." she felt herself tremble slightly, and she willed herself to go on.

"But if you're using me, manipulating me...what I mean is, using me to get away from your fangirls, and, and-"

Against her will, the blue haired girl felt hot tears spill out of her eyes, and she turned away quickly so he wouldn't see. "Maybe this was a bad idea, to tell you this, but I just couldn't take it in anymore."

Taking one last glance at him, she ran as fast as she could.

* * *

The brown haired boy couldn't believe what he was hearing. She liked him back, she thought he didn't like her at all...and she thought he was manipulating her?

Never. He would never do that.

He realized that she was confused, and mistook his feelings for her as something different. The brown haired boy saw the feelings that she was so desperate to convey, so he had stayed silent as she went on her emotional tirade.

But then she ran away, and he who had stayed silent and still suddenly found the will to move his feet.

The brown haired boy chased after the blue haired girl, traveling as fast as his long legs could take him. He was still tired from the running he has done earlier, and he felt his chest go heavy from exhaustion, but he willed himself to move on.

She had confessed to him, and now it was his turn.

Feeling some kind of newfound energy, he sped up to the blue haired girl, her two long blue pigtails flying behind her as she ran.

He was too fast for her, and when they finally reached the edge of the park, he grabbed her arm and spun her around.

He panted her name, but she refused to face him. He pleaded again, "Look at me."

.

She couldn't face him. Not after what she had done. She willed herself to calm down and tried to wipe away her ever-flowing tears, hand trembling. His grip on her arm grew stronger, and she stared at the ground watching her silent tears drip down onto the grass.

He whispered her name again, and she fought the urge to look into his beautiful brown eyes.

The brown haired boy placed his hand under her chin and brought her head up to face him. As he was a head taller, he bent his head down until their eyes met, and the blue haired girl couldn't breathe.

The girl stared as the brown haired boy's mouth moved slowly, and she couldn't believe her ears.

What was going on?

"Ten years ago, when I was eight years old, I laid eyes on you for the first time. You were the prettiest girl on the playground, and I couldn't stop staring at you. Now ten years later, I find out the love of my life loves me back," he grazed his thumb over her cheek, gently wiping off the tiny tears that were falling.

"I first fell in love with that dazzling smile of yours, so please wipe off your tears and smile for me, and only me."

The blue haired girl felt her chest tighten. She wanted to say something - anything - but her mouth refused to open. Trembling again, she collapsed into his arms and mumbled into his chest, "You're not lying to me, are you? Please say you're not..."

The boy wrapped his arms around her waist and held her comfortingly. "What I'm saying is true. I never manipulated you and my feelings are sincere. I promise."

A sob escaped her mouth and she suddenly wrapped her arms around his chest, hugging him tightly.

"I'm sorry I doubted your feelings, I just...I just didn't know what to think, and I grew paranoid over the years, and...and..." she confessed desperately.

"Shh," he silenced her softly. "We both thought the worst, but it's over now. Our feelings are cleared up now, aren't they?"

The blue haired girl nodded into his chest, then leaned back, making eye contact with the brown haired boy.

Before they both knew it, they had spoken at the same time, saying, "I love you."

And with that the two smiled, the blue haired girl her dazzling sweet smile and the brown haired boy his bright happy grin.

* * *

"Okay, so how was your weekend?"

The brown haired boy and the blue haired girl were walking up the sidewalk to their school, a routine that they had for all their years in high school. The blue haired girl would meet up with the brown haired boy at the certain crosswalk and they would walk to school together, the brown haired boy always being the conversation starter with the same usual Monday question.

The blue haired girl playfully hit his arm as they reached a stop walk. "Are you kidding me? You know exactly how my weekend went!"

Rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, the brown haired boy gave a lopsided grin. "Sorry, old habits die hard."

She shook her head with an amused smile and thought to herself how cute he was with a blush.

"Hey," the brown haired boy's arms were both resting behind his head cooly, "you're blushing. I bet you're thinking about me, aren't you?" He wiggled his eyebrows playfully.

The blue haired girl sputtered a response. "Of course not!" she scoffed, turning away so he wouldn't see her red face.

"If it makes you feel any better," the brown haired boy offered, "I'm thinking about you too."

Her head quickly whipped towards him, a small "Huh?" squeaking out of her mouth, and the brown haired boy just shook his head. "Nothing~"

Then they reached the school gates and once again, out of habit, the brown haired boy took a step behind the blue haired girl and said, "Ladies first" with a courteous bow and a wave of his hand.

And as usual, the blue haired girl giggled and grabbed the brown haired boy's hand, dragging him into school with her.

The two walked into school hand in hand, which was an unusual sight because usually, once the blue haired girl dragged the boy inside the school, she let go of his hand and instead skipped beside him happily. Their classmates passing by gaped at the unusual sight, and one of them dared to ask the widely repeated question.

"Are you two sure you're not dating?" a person shouted as they passed by.

The other students just rolled their eyes and waited expectantly for their usual answer: "We're just friends!"

But they were caught off guard when they instead called behind them, "But we are!"

The students then decided that some routines were meant to be broken.

* * *

Their first week as a couple passed by fairly normally. When people found out they were finally together, the one thing that threw them off guard the most was that they still acted exactly the same around each other. No lovey-dovey, sickeningly sweet couple gestures, no pet names, no signs of affection.

They acted as if they weren't a couple, but as if they were still best friends. Being the all-knowing friends they were, their two blonde friends (the boy with tied hair and the girl with the ribbon) argued for the new couple intelligently.

"If you think about it," they would point out knowingly, "maybe they acted as a couple even before they became one. That's why they seem so normal around each other."

The passing students had to agree begrudgingly. A day never went by without the two best friends - now the most talked couple of the school - flirting, teasing, or making intimate gestures with each other. If linking arms and throwing arms around each other's shoulder was even considered intimate.

* * *

It was Friday, the brown haired boy's favorite day of the week. The brown haired boy was waiting by the girl's locker as she took out the books she needed to bring home. With a slam of the locker door, the blue haired girl turned to the boy and a sudden thought came to her.

"Hey, we never got to watch the movie that day..." she started, emphasizing the last few words with a smile.

"Oh yeah! We should go this weekend," the boy laughed. "It can be our first official date~"

The blue haired girl smiled widely, thinking how the week before she was ready to jump off a cliff with the thought of confessing. And now look at her, she was with the brown haired boy she had loved so much, and she silently thanked her past self for having the courage to confess her feelings. "What was the name of the movie again?" she wondered out loud.

Swinging his arms around the blue haired girl and thinking how great it was to finally be with the girl he loved, the brown haired boy replied with a smile, "Karakuri Pierrot".

* * *

**OTL. Sorry for the crappy ending lol. I hope you enjoyed the story~**


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